PNG opposition launches Manus Island challenge

Papua New Guinea's opposition has launched a legal challenge to the Australian government's asylum seeker processing centre on Manus Island.

Lawyers acting for PNG's opposition leader, Belden Namah, filed a summons with the National Court on Friday.

The summons seeks a declaration that the agreement between the PNG and Australian governments to establish the processing centre is unconstitutional, because it authorises the deprivation of the asylum seekers' personal liberty.

It asks the court to permanently restrain the PNG government from continuing to detain people at the centre.

The summons seeks a temporary injunction preventing any more asylum seekers being sent to Manus Island while the case is heard.